Embracing Culture! Developing acceptance and character in the process.
By: Jessica Zamora
Because English Language Learner (ELL) students are essentially tugged and puled in two directions (home culture/language vs. school culture/language), it is important to tap into and embrace their pre-existing knowledge of, and experience with, their home culture. By creating a safe classroom environment that invites and fosters multiculturalism, ELL students will feel more comfortable and eager to learn. Doing so will also create a common acceptance and understanding among all students. By creating a space that encourages and embraces cultural diversity and competency, students' affective and cognitive domains are put into practice, which in turn help ELL students learn content despite the language barrier. This is done by creating an emotional connection between the student and the content, so as to make academic content relevant to all students, especially ELL students who would otherwise struggle in the classroom.
The following list of activities and/or examples provide a guide in how to go about creating cultural competency in the classroom. These strategies fall under the category of Specially Designed Academic Instruction in Engish because they all provide a scaffold, or tool, to help all students, but especially ELL students, reach their fullest academic, emotional, and social potential despite the language barrier. Creating such cultural competency must be a constant and intentional practice and behovior on behalf of the teacher, which in turn is engrained into students as a way of life.
Some examples include:
Culture Box/Show and Tell: Students bring in a box from home filled with a few items that represent who they are in regards to their home culture. The great thing about this activity is that all students can participate, and in turn get to know a little bit about each other (which also offers a wonderful opportunity for the teacher to see a "different" side of his or her students). Items from a student's country or photos "speak" much louder than any cultural lesson or words could ever describe, thus forgoing the language barrier. The student is able to present his or her cultural items in a non-threatening environment, which eases stress related to the pressure of presenting in front of one's peers.
Poster Board Presentation of Country: Again, much like the Culture Box activity, all students can participate by presenting a poster board project on a country. ELL students will be able to provide valuable and interesting information that some students (and even teachers) may never have known, if not for the experience and knowledge of that student. This presentation may be done in a collaborative group format, so as to further create and foster a safe and nurturing classroom community that is accepting of one another, regardless of their background.
Cultural Decor throughout the Classroom: Flags, pictures, artwork, etc.--any of these items enhance the look and feel of the classroom, while also adding a cognitive and affective appeal to students' awareness of cultural diversity. ELL students will also feel proud and secure to know that where they come from is embraced in their new home, which is the classroom.
Literature in other Languages and Bilingual Books: There has been a rather recent emergence of children's literature published in other languages or in bilingual form. This is a perfect way to introduce a bilingual approach to learning content, thus making it easier for the ELL student to comprehend and connect to the content, especially for those students who recently have entered the United States (and the classroom) from another country. Bilingual books, especially, purposefully connect the content by relaying a book's message in a dual-language approach, which is very beneficial for beginnng level (or CELDT level 1) ELL students.
Class Culture Book: As a culminating classroom activity, each student may write a journal entry or essay (depending on grade level) which highlights the student's personal culture and how that makes them unique yet similar to their peers. These can then be collected by the teacher, who can compile them into a Class Culture Book titled "Celbrating our Differences: A Classroom Culture Book."
Classroom wall represents countries and celebrates diversity.
Creating Cultural Competency
Embracing Culture! Developing acceptance and character in the process.
By: Jessica Zamora
Because English Language Learner (ELL) students are essentially tugged and puled in two directions (home culture/language vs. school culture/language), it is important to tap into and embrace their pre-existing knowledge of, and experience with, their home culture. By creating a safe classroom environment that invites and fosters multiculturalism, ELL students will feel more comfortable and eager to learn. Doing so will also create a common acceptance and understanding among all students. By creating a space that encourages and embraces cultural diversity and competency, students' affective and cognitive domains are put into practice, which in turn help ELL students learn content despite the language barrier. This is done by creating an emotional connection between the student and the content, so as to make academic content relevant to all students, especially ELL students who would otherwise struggle in the classroom.
The following list of activities and/or examples provide a guide in how to go about creating cultural competency in the classroom. These strategies fall under the category of Specially Designed Academic Instruction in Engish because they all provide a scaffold, or tool, to help all students, but especially ELL students, reach their fullest academic, emotional, and social potential despite the language barrier. Creating such cultural competency must be a constant and intentional practice and behovior on behalf of the teacher, which in turn is engrained into students as a way of life.
Some examples include: